14 Social Phenomena Terms (That We Didn't Know There Was A Word For)

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14 Social Phenomena Terms (That We Didn't Know There Was A Word For)

Sociologists and psychologists work hard to make sense of humanity’s weirdness. And, lucky for us, they come up with terms for these weird behaviors. There are few things more rewarding than having an official scientific term for a silly social quirk. We love to collect these weird phrases, as previously seen in 14 social phenomena, but we’ve learned a lot more since then. For example, do you know there’s a term for when Beyonce appears as Sasha Fierce? For a really exciting intersection of pop culture trivia, it's called the Batman Effect. If you can’t keep your eyes off the hottie in the room, just say you have a case of ​​Attentional Adhesion. It’s much less sleazy. 

The next time someone points out one of these weird, observable social patterns, do the researchers a favor by dropping the Proper Name for the phenomenon. It will make you look very smart and well-read, but most importantly, it’ll give that poor underpaid academic some much-needed street cred.

Prevalence-Induced Concept Change

Prevalence-Induced Concept Change Although it may not roll of the tongue, this refers to when a problem is reduced, we tend to redefine the problem based on our new context, not realizing how much progress we've made. CRACKED.COM

Source: Science.org

The Diderot Effect

The Diderot Effect This refers to a recognizable consumption pattern that the goods you buy you identify with, and if you bring in a nicer item, you will want to buy more, equally nice products to match its quality. This creates a spiraling consumption habit. CRACKED.COM

Source: Wiley

The Birthday Effect

The Birthday Effect Everyone is 14% more likely to die on their birthday, statisticians report. This phenomenon of the increasing likelihood of you dying closer to your birthday is, understandably, called the birthday effect. CRACKED.COM

Source: BBC

The Batman Effect

The Batman Effect This phenomenom refers to adopting an alter-ego to boost confidence. Researchers notice that it allows ourselves to step back from our feelings and respond to situations with less anxiety and more determination. CRACKED.COM

Source: BBC

The Zeigarnik Effect

The Zeigarnik Effect Named after psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik and inspired by waiters who can remember orders until the meals are served, this effect refers to how people remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. CRACKED.COM

Source: PsyBlog

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